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Apple sues Samsung in Japan, seeking to block Galaxy phone sales

September 8, 2011 | 6:44
pm

Apple has sued Samsung in Japan, accusing the smartphone and tablet rival of violating a number of its patents related to the iPhone and iPad, according to a Reuters report.

The suit calls for a court injunction to block the sales of Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy S II phones. It's the latest move in a months-long worldwide patent brawl of suits and countersuits between the two tech giants.

Apple won a sales freeze of Samsung's Galaxy S, Galaxy S II and Ace smartphones last month in 30 European countries. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 has been voluntarily placed under a sales stoppage in Australia, and a court-ordered preliminary injunction has been placed on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the unreleased Galaxy Tab 7.7 in Germany.

All of Samsung's Galaxy phones and Galaxy Tab tablets run on Google's Android mobile operating system. Apple's iPhone and iPad run the company's proprietary iOS software.

Samsung told Reuters that the patent dispute in Japan got started when it filed a suit against Apple there in April and that Apple's suit is in response to that.